Revenge of the Electric Car

In contrast to his 2006 exposé Who Killed the Electric Car? (VL-11/06)—which offered a funny, angry, and ultimately scary look at how General Motors launched and then willfully destroyed the nonpolluting, efficient EV1—filmmaker Chris Paine's follow-up is a nonjudgmental examination of the subsequent race to develop a breakthrough affordable electric-powered auto to assuage consumers' environmental and Mideast-war concerns. The four contenders are Nissan-Renault, under CEO Carlos Ghosn; Silicon Valley upstart Tesla Motors, led by PayPal founder Elon Musk; a DIY guy named Greg “Gadget” Abbott, who retrofits classic vehicles with lithium-ion cells rather than inventing a whole new machine; and—surprise!—returning villain GM, now under new chairman Bob Lutz and making their play with a battery-gas hybrid called the Chevy Volt. Narrated by Tim Robbins, Revenge of the Electric Car tracks each interested party through production delays, disappointing trial runs, divorce, lawsuits, bankruptcy—even an arson-caused fire. Although the conclusion is somewhat open-ended, this is an engrossing big-manufacturing-business drama that humanizes finance section headlines while also capturing the ordeals of people striving to create a revolutionary product. DVD extras include celebrity interviews, additional footage, and clips from a Tribeca Film Festival panel discussion. Recommended. Aud: C, P. (C. Cassady)